Anuario Brasileiro do Cobre | Brazilian Copper Yearbook 2020

Anuário Brasileiro do Cobre Brazilian Copper Yearbook 2020 15 Renewable energy - It is thus, by saving on the one hand with energy efficiency and producing clean energy on the other, that the country intends to comply with the Paris Agreement, of which it is a signatory. The goal is to reduce electricity consumption by 10% by 2030, amid an increasingly energy-hungry society, which is expected to double its consumption by 2050, according to the EPE (Energy ProductionCompany). In this arm wrestling, the common ally is copper. A study by the International Copper Association (ICA) - in Brazil, represented by Procobre - points out that renewable energy generators carry on average eight to twelve times more copper than traditional generators. This makes the metal an indispensable input for the development of clean energy. The benefits of their conductivity go beyond the use of wind towers and photovoltaic plates: besides being 100% recyclable, each ton of copper present in a renewable energy system represents less than 7.5 thousand tons of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Brazil is well ahead of the world average of 24.1% in renewable energy production, with domestic supply of 83% of its total installed capacity of 165GW (fossil and renewable). Data from Aneel show that the predominance is of hydropower (63%), followed by wind (9.1%), biomass (9%), solar (1.3%) and nuclear (1.2%). But while on the one hand the potential for hydroelectric generation has its growth limited by hydro capacity in Brazil or the environmental impact of new projects, wind and photovoltaic plants have made generation less dependent on the river dam and further expanded the diversity of the Brazilian energy matrix . Absolar (Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy) points out that the jump in installed capacity of this renewable source should reach 44%, leading the country to the 3.3GW mark in operation. In addition to the large and mini or micro generation plants, part of this merit is reserved for distributed generation. In this area, Procobre’s workshops have helped to qualify integrators - technical professionals responsible for the sale and installation of solar systems - and the diffusion of case studies, helping to guide the general public about the advantages of choosing solar panels. To keep up with this growth in the renewable electricity generation sector and the increase in demand for special copper cables in a scenario of scarce national literature, Procobre promoted qualification by developing and disseminating best practice guides and workshops, the workforce, includingelectrical engineersandelectrotechnicians. The Copper Conductor Power Cable Application Guide brings together concepts, applications, and case studies to correct biases, failures, and problems found in renewable power generation facilities. It also provides a broad overview of the expansion of this market and the systems inherent in it. The Photovoltaic Solar Energy Guide, for its part, follows the same line in this sector specifically, rescuing the engineering of power cable application and highlighting the use of copper as a unique selection for safety and efficiency of installations.